November 23, 2015
Brazilian author Montes (Suicides) makes his English-language debut with a nifty, albeit nasty little thriller. Teo Avelar, the wonderfully immoral hero at its pitch-black center, is studying to be a pathologist in Rio de Janeiro. His best friend is a corpse. Then he meets Clarice Lispector, a would-be screenwriter, and falls in love. Teo soon starts stalking Clarice, and in a bid to win her over and make her fall in love with him, he drugs and kidnaps her. Expected developments include Clarice’s efforts to escape and the murder of someone who threatens Teo’s plan to keep her captive. More unusual
are a tense encounter Teo has with the police and his bouts of paranoia. When the tables finally turn, Montes pulls out the stops with a series of twists—one of which is not for the squeamish. Teo’s criminal mischief may put off some readers, but others will enjoy the wild ride. Agent: Luciana Villas-Boas, Villas-Boas & Moss Literary Agency & Consultancy (Brazil).